China’s prohibitive controls on freedom of speech have provoked an unprecedented outpouring of online protest, after celebrities, popular bloggers, businessmen and ordinary netizens took to the web to voice their support for journalists at an influential newspaper who protested against censorship of their work.
Hacks at …

Still

They need the general population to play like a team in order to move the country forward. Suppression, like we've seen in the past, cannot continue in the same way any more. Perhaps I'm too optimistic, but I'm sure we will see changes, even if they are very small.

Well I get the real name registration thing, saves a lot of time in certain cases, and will stop people posting what they are not willing to associate with their real names.. (i.e. no posting rubbish online which they wouldn't say to someones face)

I suspect they will be calm with the protestors, whether they change their policy, no idea.. it would be nice to think that they would, but I doubt it at the moment, its too soon for that dramatic change...

If thats even your "real" name!

Completely agree, with the real name case. Some, no scratch that MOST people need to realise that free speech doesnt come with a blanket ability to say whatever you want to whoever you want, it comes with an inherent responsibility to use your right to stand up for yourself not use it to abuse people online whilst hiding behind some anonymous tag.

However what the Chinese government are doing is removing that choice from their people, they are censoring for censorings sake because they are scared that if they dont do this the people will see what life is like around the rest of the world and they will want it too!!

The Reg being a UK mag

I couldn't help but notice

There are an awful lot of anonymous postings on the Reg and elsewhere on the web. Is there anything to be afraid of? I mean, if this is such a free society as is commonly implied, then we can all just be ourselves - right?